Takeaways From Auburn Loss to Texas A&M: Same Issues Come About

The Auburn Tigers dealt with many of the same woes on offense in a tight matchup on the road at College Station

Another game where the Auburn Tigers' defense couldn't get out of its own way | Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images

Headed out of the loss to Oklahoma, the Auburn Tigers were expected to come into the Texas A&M game with a fire under them. Despite that expectation, it seemed to be more of the same for the Tigers, as they struggled with offensive inefficiency, an inability to capitalize on opportunities and penalties.

Though the Tigers were able to hang around in the fourth quarter, it was too little, too late. At this point, all the Tigers can do is identify areas for improvement as the team heads into its bye week. Auburn Tigers on SI has a few takeaways of its own.

The Offensive Line Needs to Step Up

After allowing 10 sacks last week against Oklahoma, the offensive line needed to step up and stand out in the Tigers’ next matchup.

They did slightly better, but Texas A&M accumulated seven sacks, some of which came in crucial moments. That wasn’t even the main issue, though. The Tigers’ line struggled immensely in another drive-killing factor this week: penalties. 

The offensive line was flagged five times, which, due to the noise in College Station, doesn’t sound horrible. Xavier Chaplin accounted for three of these. 

The Tigers converted a massive fourth down in the third quarter that would have put them in scoring range, but the play was called back due to a Chaplin holding penalty. He was also caught and flagged for false-starting twice. 

Offense Needs to Find Identity  

Auburn’s offense, simply, was abysmal in this game. The Tigers went three-and-out on six of 12 drives, went 0-for-12 on third down, and were only able to gain just a single yard in the fourth quarter. 

The individual stats don’t look much better; Jackson Arnold had just 124 passing yards on 53% completion, Auburn’s leading receiver, Eric Singleton, had 57 yards, and Cam Coleman had just 18 yards, and the run game was nonexistent. 

The Tigers handed off the ball to a running back just eight times in this game, resulting in Jeremiah Cobb accumulating just 28 yards, while Damari Alston had just two touches for 10 yards.

Auburn’s offense couldn’t capitalize on the defense’s crucial stop late in the fourth; in fact, the only time they seemed to be able to capitalize was when Xavier Atkins put them on the Aggies’ two-yard line.

Simply put, this offense needs to find its identity. The Baylor game proved the team could rush effectively. The Oklahoma game proved that passing was more than a viable option. Yet, when it all came to fruition in College Station, the team couldn’t seem to get any momentum going.

Auburn’s Defense Is Top Tier, But Can Only Do So Much

A quote from last week’s takeaways article sums this up pretty well:

“Auburn’s defense, led by Xavier Atkins' seven total tackles, as well as Keyron Crawford’s fumble recovery, kept the Tigers in the game. The Tigers' defense even held the [Oklahoma] Sooners to a few crucial field goals in place of potential touchdowns, which was immensely helpful for the Tigers’ momentum, though Auburn’s offense couldn’t back them up well.”

It seems like not much has changed for the Tigers headed into College Station. Auburn’s defense, led by Xavier Atkins’ 10 total tackles, as well as his crucial fourth-quarter interception, kept the Tigers in the game. 

The Tigers’ defense even held the Aggies to a few crucial field goals, as well as a crucial three-and-out late in the game, though Auburn’s offense couldn’t back them up well. 

Sound familiar?

Offensive issues aside, the Tigers’ defense truly looked elite in College Station. Four sacks, multiple players with five or more tackles, and, of course, the pivotal interception in the fourth quarter solidified Auburn’s defense as one of the best in the country. 

Texas A&M averaged 42.3 points per game headed into this matchup. Against the Auburn defense, the Aggies scored just 16.

This Auburn defense will continue to be a threat to any offense that stands in their way, though the Tigers will struggle to compete if their offense looks as weak as it did against Texas A&M.